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I have known Kelsie since grade school and was thrilled when she contacted me about photographing her wedding. Plans changed though, and this cute couple decided they are going to tie the knot on a beach instead of windy ol’ Kansas! But, Kansas was the location of engagement photos, and since yesterday was so incredibly windy, we just kept it in the “studio.” It was great to meet Tanner, of course…I wish you both a beautiful wedding and a blessed marriage. Enjoy this sneak peek!

Tony is my one and only “guy” rep for next year’s class. Tony is a guitar player and tennis ace which made his session a little more fun and unique. I love it when seniors bring things like their guitars and sports equipment which really help showcase their personalities and interests at this time in their lives. That’s what your senior pictures should be about…who you are right now!

Mr. K was thrilled his mom wanted to do First Communion Pictures and I didn’t even have to bribe him to get some good smiles. While that’s not altogether true, Mr. K did end up having fun (I think) and even pulled out a few of his own poses at the end…emulating his favorite high school guys! We had some fun…and now I’m looking forward to this guy’s family pictures this summer! Enjoy!!

The “L” family first contacted me a couple of months ago through the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep website when their doctor gave them the news that their precious baby girl would be born with anencephaly. As I visited with the family via email, I began to feel a maternity session would be a wonderful addition to their regular NILMDTS session. I asked if they would be interested and they agreed it would be a wonderful way for the family to celebrate this new life. But when Saturday morning rolled around and it was time for their session, Mom began to have some complications which made it impossible for them to drive to me. Knowing how much these images would mean for the family, I offered to drive the 2 hours and hoped she wouldn’t go into labor. As it turned out, Mom was feeling good that evening and we were able to capture some amazing images of the family and this beautiful belly carrying their baby sister. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this moment in time and know that these images will always hold a special place for me. My prayer is the images will also be a part of this family and their healing.

Oh, and that image in the middle is of Mom and her two sisters who are also expecting!

I had the opportunity to take a few 1st Communion pictures on Saturday and really enjoyed it! The Cathedral in Dodge City is a beautiful building with gorgeous sunlight streaming through. We did a few studio and a few around the church for each one, which allowed us to get each of their personalities to really shine. Aren’t they all just gorgeous?

And outside, the wind was howling and ruining hair all day long…but the clouds and a wide angle show off the beauty of the Cathedral!

Yesterday I met up with Taylor to do her first mini session as a Senior Rep for BJP…we just did outdoor pics and the overcast sky was perfect.  The chilly wind was not…but it kept us awake!  Miss Taylor had just been to her second prom/after prom in two weeks so you can imagine how tired she must have been! But she was awesome, and we got so many beautiful images of her in a short amount of time.  We hit two of my favorite spots in Dodge and then followed Taylor to a new one…it was perfect yesterday for that last location!  I am thrilled, once again, to have such a beautiful, talented, and sweet rep to work with.  Thanks Taylor…have a great week!

First location: down by the depot with the perfect fire escapes and red brick.  I come here a lot…but it’s a great spot to get out of the wind and has beautiful light most of the day.

Location 2: My new favorite alley…and yesterday the light seemed to come down between the buildings and just wrap around Taylor.

Location 3: I think that’s a redbud right?  It’s gorgeous!  It was in perfect bloom, the grass was beautifully manicured, and the waterfall/stream added another touch of interest.

Meet Anna.  She is a junior at South Gray and is going to be an awesome rep for me for the class of 2011!!  I am so excited to be working with her…just look at how gorgeous she is!  Anna has the sweetest soul and great sense of style.  If you know Anna and want a free set of wallets with your own amazing senior session, contact her and she’ll hook you up.  Let me just say, the senior class of 2011 is smart, talented, and drop-dead beautiful!

I said I’d tell you about my weekend at my photography conference so here goes! I entered my first Professional Photographers of America print competition as part of the weekend’s events and ended up placing 1st in the wedding category for our state and regional (Kansas, Nebraska and Misery ). At the state awards ceremony, I also received the Kodak Gallery Award for the same image. The president of the Kansas chapter of PPA presented the awards and when I received the Kodak Award, he whispered, “This is the best award here.” It is a beautiful trophy and I felt like I was winning an Oscar…actually the whole theme of the night was the Oscars. I am honored and thrilled to have won any awards…I was just hoping to score high enough on my prints that I wouldn’t be embarrassed!

My wedding print will now go on to Nationals for both the PPA and the Kodak awards. I won’t know for quite a while how those do though.

Oh! You want to see the image that did so well???? Most of you, if you were to guess, would probably have chosen this one as well. It is the image that gets the most reaction, the most “ooo’s and ahhh’s”, and one of my all-time favorites. It’s from the Colorado wedding last summer, and I titled it, “What Storm.”

I want you all to know that although it was fun to receive an award and be recognized by pro’s this weekend, the thing that means the most to me is connecting with all of you, sharing these moments in time, and getting to capture it forever as a treasure for you and your families. I am truly blessed to be following my heart’s desire, to wake up each day excited to see what it brings.

I had quite an exciting weekend!  I stayed with my sister while attending the HOA PPA conference in Kansas City and came home with a couple of awards.  I’ll share all about my experience in another post…this one is all about my 6 month old niece, Jordi.  We had a hard time finding enough time for her shoot but we were determined to get it done.  We ended up having to finish yesterday morning just before we left.  Mornings are usually good for the babies though and she was all smiles for us.  We put her in some of the new things I picked up at the trade show and had a ball.  Six monthers are my favorite, too, so even though we did this quickly and with a bit of a ghetto setup, we got some of my favorite images!  I know her momma is going to love these…she’s all about the girly-girl getups and head bands.  Enjoy!!

Here is a great spring “what to wear” guide!  I love these and find them helpful even for myself.  Enjoy!

The first set is ideas for a couple…engagements, anniversary, or to celebrate a special time in your life.

This second set is all about the kids…fun, bright colors that show their personalities!

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